Cochin Bantams and Frizzle Cochin Bantams!!

[jajeanpierre]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/206315/frazzle this is interesting! is yours a roo?

Thanks. I had already read that thread. I put in frazzle chickens health problems and found little other than comments with no science behind them. Not saying the comments are wrong, just I want to hear it from a more scholarly source. I did find one article about research done in the 1930s, but no reference to skin problems.

I think two of my birds are frazzles. The pullet has now developed decent plumage, but nothing like the frizzle cockerel I had. Her feathers are thin, stringy with little fluff to them. The other frazzle is just a mess. The feathers are hard, dry and break if you look at them. He has a lot of feathers that are just the shaft. My (expletive) dachshund got through the fence and in with the group of 7 bantams recently and severely injured the frazzle, two Silkies and killed the frizzle (Very, very sad--absolutely loved that bird. Had the most luxurious plumage; loved running my fingers through his feathers.) The poor frazzle had a pretty naked butt to begin with, but now it is completely naked.

I'm worried about the cold. I live near San Antonio and it can get cold in the winter. It went down into the mid 70s today and he was shivering.

How do I keep him warm? I don't want him to be a house chicken, but if I have to I guess I can. I have four parrots I will bring in for the winter and that's more than enough birds inside. Two chickens will not be a welcome addition although they are very small.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
I've known of people to put heat lamps in the coop

it's hard enough when wild life gets to our birds!! my dogs have gotten my chicks before...it's devastating!!

 

[suncatcher]

I am no expert, but with very little feathering and no down, they can't stay warm in cooler weather, is impossible. The upside since you already have them, is he will always make frizzles, and she will always have frizzle chicks. I would not hatch any eggs from them together, but they should be ok breeding with smooth feathered Bantam Cochins. So if you are into raising chicks, you would have lots of Frizzles to sell!

I have also heard of heat lamps in the coop, just be careful, and make sure your Frazzles are able to get under them, and not pushed out into the colder area of the coop. Just my two cents worth............

 

[jajeanpierre]

I am no expert, but with very little feathering and no down, they can't stay warm in cooler weather, is impossible. The upside since you already have them, is he will always make frizzles, and she will always have frizzle chicks. I would not hatch any eggs from them together, but they should be ok breeding with smooth feathered Bantam Cochins. So if you are into raising chicks, you would have lots of Frizzles to sell!

I have also heard of heat lamps in the coop, just be careful, and make sure your Frazzles are able to get under them, and not pushed out into the colder area of the coop. Just my two cents worth............

I think I'm going to have to bring the two of them in the house and add heat. I keep my house really cold, trying to never turn on the heat. I'll figure something out. I hadn't realized until recently that they would have a problem--I just kept waiting for the feathers to grow. I don't think I want to breed them--they are both hatchery birds. I'll look a the Cochin standard and try to figure out how he fits in. To me, he is just really ugly and she is a runty little thing. Both have curved/deformed wings that I believe are from the double F gene. I'll get pictures for comments, but I think both birds are really pretty poor quality for breeding.

I know almost nothing about breeding. They are both black, so if I got a splash pullet, would they produce 100% frizzled blue? What do you breed to black?

I'm really disappointed in these birds. I bought four and three turned out to be double copy frizzle, one single copy.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Get a heat emitter. A friend got me started on using them and I agree with her that they are better than any heat lamp. It screws into a regular bulb socket and are ceramic will only give off heat but not light. I bought mine on Ebay and have to say it works better than anything else I have used and outlasts multiple heat lamp bulbs.

 

[AndyCap]

Get a heat emitter. A friend got me started on using them and I agree with her that they are better than any heat lamp.  It screws into a regular bulb socket and are ceramic will only give off heat but not  light. I bought mine on Ebay and have to say it works better than anything else I have used and outlasts multiple heat lamp bulbs.

what a great idea. Thanks Craig

 

[suncatcher]

Quote: Do you have a heated garage? Or a smaller coop you could put a heat emmiter in? I know the more chickens the warmer they are, but would think just the two of them in a warmed coop, well, it might work. Would have to agree on the heat emitter idea, would keep them warm. Sounds like that hatchery needs some lessons in ethics! They must breeding Frizzle to Frizzle, as the usuall outcome is 50 percent Frizzle, and 50 percent smooth feathered.

One of the gals on our local thread had a Frizzle rooster she was unable to integrate into her flock, so she made him into a house chicken, she even trained him to wear a chicken diaper. She was unable to keep him, and ended up selling him for $50! Not sure if there is a market in your area for Frizzles or not. Not everyone is into type is my point. LOL

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/basic-chicken-color-genetics Found this link on color genetics.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Sounds like that hatchery needs some lessons in ethics! They must breeding Frizzle to Frizzle, as the usuall outcome is 50 percent Frizzle, and 50 percent smooth feathered.

I expected 50/50, but every one was frizzle or frazzle. I'll see how he feathers up after the dog attack. I have my doubts he can cope with the heat. He's a hatchery chick, so doubt he should be bred, even if he will produce 100% frizzle.

 

[jajeanpierre]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/basic-chicken-color-genetics Found this link on color genetics.

Thanks. I understood those two colors.

I have little partridge Plymouth Rock bantam that has really poofy feathering. I was wondering what color they would be if I bred her to black. Not sure I even want any chicks from any of these chickens, but she is a nice little hen and produces large (for a tiny bantam) eggs regularly enough. The little frazzle pullet also produces nice large eggs frequently. The two frazzles may be from the same breeding pen, so they might be related--I assume egg size and frequency of laying is based on genetics.

 

[suncatcher]

Quote: I would think anything with good feathering would improve the chicks, but I am no breeder either! Best to let the experts give their advise.

Which hatchery are these Frazzles from? Might want to post that info somewhere.